Nation’s largest free farm + arts crawl announces 2023 event
No bull! Annual event has … bumper crop of counties
The annual South Carolina Ag + Art Tour is adding Aiken and Sumter counties while returning eight previously participating counties to feature a cornucopia of more than 100 tour sites during the 2023 iteration of the event—the largest such in the U.S.
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Will Culler, Clemson Extension agribusiness agent and tour director, bills the free, self-guided farm and art tour as a great way to educate people about where their food and fiber come from while they’re introduced to local artisans.
Now in its 12th year, it has seen steady growth in length and counties and sites participating. Ag + Art Tour is looking for #SCartists who want to exhibit! Go here for information and to apply. Have a farm? Tour sites are being sough to apply too.
“We are proud of the commitment of our farms, artisans, and county teams. Because of that, we can sustain continued growth,” Culler said. “One of our goals has been to give people a better knowledge of what is produced in their backyard and help them to support local businesses while making healthier food choices. This event does that by putting food and product with a face.”
The 2023 tour include farms and artisans in Aiken, Chester, Colleton, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Sumter, and York counties.
2023 schedule
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
- May 6: Lexington
- May 13-14: Aiken, Lancaster, Sumter
- May 20-21: Colleton, Newberry
- June 3-4: Kershaw
- June 10-11: Richland, York
- June 17-18: Fairfield
- June 24-25: Chester
Tour stops include farms and farmers’ markets, with art at each location. Artisans on the tour range from weavers, painters, musicians, storytellers, metalworkers, and craftsmen to poets and live musical performances. Some farms will offer value-added products, such as jarred and canned foods, honey, baked goods, or even farm-fresh meals. There is no fee to attend; visitors can start and stop their tour at any location.
The tour began in York County in 2012 and has added at least one new county each year since. The interest in the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour continues to be high, and it is the largest free farm tour in the nation. More than 85,000 visitors have enjoyed it since its inception.
More information about the participating farms, markets, artisans, and ancillary sites can be found online at www.agandarttour.com and its social media accounts:
- Facebook: @agandarttour
- Instagram: @agandarttour
Various counties have accounts too, so do a quick search for yours. And don’t forget the hashtag: #agandarttour.
Plan your mooooooves now.
About the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour
The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour is a free self-guided tour of farms and farmers’ markets featuring artisans at every stop occurring every weekend in June. The first Ag + Art Tour was held in 2012 in York County to blend agriculture and art. The tour began to expand in 2013 and has continued to do so yearly. It is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation.
The tour is coordinated by leadership and county-level planning teams led by Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Partner organizations include economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus, farm and artisan organizations, education and extension offices, arts councils, and community volunteers.